Carriage-return mechanism



Ma 1933. o. J. SUNDSTRAND CARRIAGE RETURN MECHANISM Original Filed May 19 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet l ZZZ/67775;? 0 J timid/ 01242, 7

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CARRIAGE RETURN vMECHANISM Original Filed lay 19, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 14, 1933. Q J SUNDSTRAND 1,901,135

CARRIAGE RETURN MECHANISM Original Filed May 19, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 PLRN VIEW Mamb 1933. o. J. SUNDSTRAND CARRIAGE RETURN MECHANISM Original Filed May 19, 1928 [$916. PLAN VIEW 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 March 1933- o. J. SUNDSTRAND CARRIAGE RETURN MECHANISM Original Filed May 19, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 March 1933- o. J. SUNDSTRAND CARRIAGE RETURN MECHANISM 6 Sheets-Shee t 6 Original Filed May 19, 1928 frwezifi/ 0 J fizzzzdaimrzdi M M m Patented Mar. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OSCAR J'- SUNDSTRAND, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB T0 SUNDSTBAND CORPO- RATION, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE CARRIAGE-RETURN MECHANISM Application filed Kay 19, 1928, Serial This invention relates to mechanism for returning the paper carriage of a computing machine to or toward its initial position, and to means for controlling the return moves 6 ment. It is especially useful in connection with bookkeepin machines.

One feature 0% my improved carriage-return mechanism consists in a rack-and-pinion drive for the carriage in which the pinion is carried by a spring-pressed swinging lever so that the pinion accommodates itself to any yield. in the rack, thus obviating the necessity for rigidity in construction and extreme accuracy in manufacture.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means whereby the carriage may be returned from one intermediate columnar position to another intermediate columnar position.

A further object is to provide for automatic line-spacing when the carriage is returned, whether such return movement begins at the final or an intermediate position.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a fragmental side elevation of a computing machine provided with a carriage return mechanism embodying the features of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmental side elevation showing the electric motor that drives the carriage return mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the carriage return mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a detail rear view and Fig. 4 a i plan view of the tilting bracket that carries certain controlling. devices.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the tilting bracket that carries the driving pinion.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the last mentioned bracket.

Fig. 6 is a plan view showing a. portion of the paper carriage and the carriage return mechanism. I

Fig. 7 is a fragmental view looking toward the rear and showing the mechanism in operation to return the carriage.

Fig. 8 is a fragmental view looking from the rear of the machine.

Fig. 9 is a fra'gmental view looking from w the left-hand end of the paper carriage.

No. 278,950. Renewed June 22, 1931.

Fig. 10 is a fragmental view showing the controlling devices adjusted into position to cause return of the carriage from an intermediate columnar position.

Fig. 11 is a detail view of the lever that ierves4 to unlatch the tilting bracket shown in Fig. 12 is a detail view of the throwout lever that effects cessation of the carriage return movement.

Fig. 13 is a detail view of the latch device iqhat cooperates with the latch lever shown in Fig. 14 is a detail view of a detent plate that normally prevents actuation of the line space mechanism.

In the drawings, A indicates a computing machine which is provided with a laterally movable carriage B. This carriage may be of any preferred construction, but is herein shown as comprising end plates 1 and 2 and a longitudinally extending bar 3, of reotangular cross-section, located in the rear portion of the carriage. The carriage B is guided in any preferred manner for movement laterally of the machine. Herein is shown a track rail 4 (Fig. 10) forming part of the means for supporting the carriage. Means of any well-known or preferred character, as, for example, a spring (not shown), may be employed to move the carriage from right to left.

The means for controlling the movement of the carriage toward the left may be of any preferred character. That herein shown comprises a stop plate 5 (Figs. 1, 6 and 9) generally similar to the stop plate fully disclosed in my application Serial No. 118,628,

- filed June 26, 1926. Said plate is detachably secured to a rock shaft 6 which is journaled in the end plates 1 and 2 of the paper carriage. On the lower side of the stop plate are pins 7 (Fig. 9) which are arranged to coact with parts not herein shown, namely,.an escapement stop, an escapement dog and a plurality of slides each arranged to control some function of the machine. As shown in said application Serial No. 118,628, the escapement stop, the escapement dog and the slides are arranged in a compact group upon 'witht stop plate clear of the before-mentioned the rear portion of the machine and adjacentto and below the path of travel of the sto plate 5. A coiled spring 8' (Figs. 6 and 9 attached to an arm 9-wh1ch isrigid with the shaft 6, normally holds the plate 5 down in position to coact with the before-mentioned esca ement sto ,escapement dog and slides. e means or returning the carriage to itsinitial position against the tension of the before-mentioned carriage-moving spring comprises a rack bar 10 having rack teet 11 formed in its loweredge. The bar 10 is carried in extensions 1 and 2 of the end plates 1 and 2 and extends longitudinally of the carriage. The rack bar is arranged to have a slight amount of sliding movement relative to the carriage, its normal position bein determined by contact of a stop screw 12 ig. 8) on the rack bar with the extension 2" of the endplate=2. A contractile spring-13 anchored atone end to said extension and connected at its other end toan arm 14 pivoted at 15 on said extension, holds said arm against astud 16 on the rack bar and thus yieldingly holds the rack bar in normal position. 17, (Fig. 6) are leafs rings attached to the extensions 1 and 2 and aring against the forward side of the rack bar 10 for the purpose of reventing rattlmg. On the leftand end 0 the rack bar 10 is a projection 18 (Figs. 6 and 8). When the driving pinion engages and moves the rack bar, the projection'18 engages the extension 2'} and causes the pa r carriage to move with the rack.

Rigi with the arm 14 is an arm 19 (Figs. 6, 8 and 9) that underlies an arm 20 which is ri 'd with the arm 9. It'will be seen that w en the rack bar 10 is slid relatively to the carria e' to'bring the projection 18 in contact he extension 2, the arm 19 will lift the escapement sto escapement dog and slides,

that'the stop p ate will be lifted before the carriage begins to move, and that the stop plate will be held elevated until the carriage as been returned to the desired point.

A bracket 21 secured to the rear end of the base 22 of the machine A comprises an upwardly extending portion which provides bearings for a horizontal shaft 23. Pivoted upon the shaft is a frame 24 (Fig. 5) which virtually constitutes a lever. On a shaft 25, journaled in said frame, is fixed a pinion 26 arranged to mesh with the rack teeth 11. Fixed on the shaft is a gear wheel 27 which meshes at all times with a inion 28 that is fixed on the shaft 23. Also xed onthe shaft 23 is a pulley 29 that carries a belt 30 which runsaround a pulley 31 fixed on a horizontal drive shaft; 32. A s'pring-actuated idler pulley 82" maintains the belt under proper tension. The pulley 31 is driven from the motor 33 (Fi 2) which drives the main rock shaft own) of the computing machine A.

(plot-s e motor 33 may be provided with a cut-out projection 42 on the up of any well-known or preferred construction operating to shut 06 the current after the motor has operated for, say, a minute after the completion of a cycle of operations of the computing machine, or the motor may be arranged to stop immediately after each c cle of operations of the computmg machine.

rack teeth 11. Said means comprises a spring 34 (Fig.3) which is anchored at one end to the bracket 21 and is connected at its other end to an arm 35 that is rigidly connected to the frame 24. Normally the bracket 24 is held with the pinion 26 out of mesh with the rack b means of a latch lever 36 which is pivo at 37, said lever having a lockin shoulder 38 (Fig. 8) adapted to be engage by a projection 39 on the frame 24. A spring 40 normally holds the latch 36 in engagement with the projection 39. When the paper carriage reaches the end of its leftward or working stroke, a stop or dog 41 (Figs. 6 and 8) ad ustably mounted on the bar 3-enga es a r end of the atch fiver 36 and sgvin sa1 lever to t"tihelleflg of t eo ratoi', t ere y disen a in e co in shoul dzr 38 fromthe proic tio 39, where upon the spring 34 tilts the frame 24 to place the pinion 26 in mesh with the rack.

Inasmuch as the motor herein shown is of the start-and-stop variety, means is provided for operating a switch included in the motor circuit for the purpose of starting the motor when the carriage is to be returned. A switch, which is designated as a whole by the number 43 in Fig. 3, comprises contacts 44,45 and 46. Said contacts are arranged to be pressed together, thereby closing the switch, by means of an arm 47 which is pivoted on the bracket 21 at 48. The-arm 47 carries an insulating block 49 arranged to bear against the contact 6. A contractile spring 50 tends to swing the arm 47 in the direction to close the switch. The upper. end of said arm bears a ainst a projection 51 on the frame 24. en the frame 24is unlatched to the action ofthe spring 34, the spring 50 is allowed to close the switch, such action preferably occurrin a moment before the pmion touches the me The means for disen aging the pinion 26 from the rack when t e carriage has been returned to the desired oint comprises a roller adjustably mounted uponthe bar 3. Such a stop or roller is herein shown at 52 in Fig.6. A cam lever 53 pivotally mounted at 54 has a downwardly-extending arm 55 which is connected to a downwardly-extend ing portion 56 of the frame 24by means of a link 57. When the spring 34 tilts the frame 24 to place the pinion 26 in mesh with the rack, the free end of the cam lever 53 is raised into position to be engaged by the roller 52 as the paper carriage reaches its initial position. Depression of the cam lever 53 by the roller 52 causes the frame 24 to be swung downwardly against the tension of the spring 34, thereby withdrawing the pinion 26 from the rack. As soon as the frame 24 is thus depressed, the latch lever 36 is moved by the spring 40 into latching engagement with the projection 39.

The operator may sometimes desire to return the carriage from a point between the first and last columnar positions to another point intermediate the first and last columnar ositions. For example, in bank bookkeeping, the operator may have more checks to enter than there are columns provided therefor on the ledger sheet, and may desire to return the carriage to the first check column (that is to say, the check column farthest to the left) in order to enter another check therein. In order to permit of such return of the carriage, means is provided whereby the latch lever 36 and the throw-out cam' lever 53 may be moved laterally into the path of travel of special stops carried by the bar 3, said special stops traveling in a different path from that vof the stops 41 and 52. While such lateral adjustment of the latch lever and the throw-out cam lever may be effected in various ways, I have herein shown them as supported upon a bracket 58 (Fig. 4) which is pivoted upon the upper portion of the bracket 21 at 59 and 60. The axis of the pivots 59 and 60 extends transversely of the machine, hence the upper portion of the bracket 58 is arranged to swing forward and back. The pivot 37 of the latch lever 36 and the pivot 54 of the throw-out lever 53 are carried by the bracket 58. A tension" spring 61 (Fig. 1) anchored at one end to the bracket 21 and connected at its other end to the rearwardly extending portion 62 of the bracket 58 normally holds said bracket with its upper portion in its rearward position, the normal position of said bracket being determined by contact of the portion 63 (Fig; 3) thereof with a stop screw 64 on the brac et 21.

Means is provided for locking the bracket 58 with its upper portion in its forward position. In the present embodiment of my invention said means comprises an arm 65 (Figs. 3, 10, 11 and 13) rigidly secured to the bracket 21 and having in its lower edge a notch forming a locking shoulder 66. A latch lever 67 pivoted at 54 alongside the throw-out cam lever 53 has an arm 68 underlying the locking arm 65 and arranged to be moved into position in front of the locking shoulder 66 by means of a tension spring 69.

Two steps in the 'form of a dog-70 and a roller 71 are adjustably mounted upon the the latch lever 36 and the throw-out cam lever 53 in their forward position, they are respectively in the path of the dog 70 and the roller 71, and consequently the return movement of the carriage will be inaugurated when the dog 70 engages the latch lever 36 and will cease when the roller 71 engages the throwout lever 53. A moment after the roller 71 operates the throw-out lever 53, said roller depresses the latch lever 67 and thus allows the spring 61 to. restore the bracket 58 to normal position.

The means for rocking the bracket 58 comprlses a selective column return key 72 (Fig. 1) carried by a lever pivoted at 73 and connected by means of a link 74 to the lower portion of said bracket.

The line-space mechanism should operate whenever the carriage is returned, whether to the column farthest to the left or to the first check column or to some other intermediate position. While means for controlling the line'space mechanism may partake of various forms, I have herein shown a means generally similar to that fully disclosed in my application Serial No. 118,628 filed June 26, 1926. Said means comprises a slide 75 (Fig. 10) mounted in the machine frame for horiz-ontal reciprocation longitudinally of the computing machine. Said slide has a. notch 76 through which the universal rod 77 of the line-space mechanism slides as the paper carriage moves laterallyr In each cycle of operations of the machine the slide is moved forward by means of a stud 78 on a lever 79 pivoted at 80. A contractile spring 81 serves to move the slide rearwardly. The means for automatically controlling the line-space or platen-rotating mechanism comprises a. detent plate 82 (Figs. 10 and 14) mounted on the track rail 4 for limited movement parallel with the path of movement of the paper carriage. 83 are elongated openings in said stop plate through which extend screws 84 seated in the track rail. On the left-hand end of the detent plate 82 is a portion 85 which is normally held in the path of the slide 75 through the action of a contractile spring 86. On the opposite end of the detent plate is a lug 87 which is arranged to be moved through the medium of one of the stoppins 7 on the stop plate 5 for the purpose of mov ing the portion 85 out of the path of the slide 7 5, thereby permitting the latter to impart one linespace movement to -the platen. Such action occurs when the paper carriage reaches its final position.

In order that the line-space mechanism may be operated when the carriage is returned to the intermediate position determined by the location of the dog 70, I pro- 5 vide a bell crank lever 88 (Fig. pivoted at 89 (Fig. 6) upon the bracket 21. Said lever comprises a forwardly extending arm 90 having an upturned lug 91 which lies at the right-hand side of a projection 92 on the detent plate 82. Said bell crank lever also comprises an arm 93 that lies in front of a stop screw 94 carried by the bracket 58.

When the operator rocks thebracket 58 by depressing the selective column return key 72 the bell crank lever 88 is swung in the direction to slide the detent plate 82 toward the left far enough to carry the portion 85 out of the path of movement of the slide 75, thus allowing the latter to actuate the linespace mechanism.

The operation of the mechanism may be briefly described as follows: The roller 52 is secured upon the bar 3 in proper relation to the column farthest to the left, and the dog 41 is secured to the bar 3 in proper relation to the column farthest to the right. If there may be occasion to write on more than one line in any particular column during one complete traverse of the pa er carria e, as, for example, in the chec column arthest to the left, the roller 71 is secured upon the bar 3 in proper relation to sucl. column, and the dog 70 is fixed upon the bar 3 in proper relation to the point from which the carriage should return to such check or other intermediate column. The carriage being at its extreme right-hand osition,'in which the throw-out lever 53 and the latch lever 67 are held depressed by the roller 52, the o eration is as follows: The operator operates t e machine to effect the various computations and imprints required by the bookkeeping workin hand, the carriage being caused to move toward the left from one columnar position to the next by means of the spring hereinbefore alluded to. After the required impression has been a made in the column farthest to the right, said spring moves the carriage a fraction of an inch to bring the dog 41 into engagement with the projection 42 ,on the latch lever 27 thereby disengaging said latch lever from the projection 39 on the frame'24, whereupon the spring 34 tilts said frame to place the pinion 26 in mesh with the rack bar 10. A moment before the pinion meshes with the rack, the switch 43 is'closed, whereby power is communicated to drive said pinion in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 7. The movement first imparted to the rack by the pinion serves to lift the stop plate 5 clear of the coacting devices on the machine. As soon as the projection 18 on the rack engages the extension 2, the carriage starts on its return movement toward the right.

When the roller 52 reaches the throwout gages the 1ever53, said lever is depressed, thereby withdrawing the pinion 26 from the rack and brin 'ng the projection 39 below the locking shou der 38, whereupon the spring 40 moves thelatch lever 36 into en agement with said projections. As soon as t e pinion leaves the rack, the spring 8 and the weight of the'stop plate 5 causes said stop plate to drop into operative position. The carria e is now back m its extreme right-hand osition, ready for 7 another cycle of bookkeeping operations.

If, durin such a cycle of operations, the o rator fin s that there are'more checks than t are are check columns, she depresses the selective column return key 72, thereby plac- B 'ing the throw-out lever 53 and the latch lever 67 in the path of movement of the dog 70 and the roller71. When the dog 70 engages the projection 42 the carriage is returned toward the right until the roller 71 engages the 8 levers 53 and 67, whereupon the pinion 26 is disen aged from the rack and the bracket 58 un atched from the shoulder 66 (Fi 13), the bracket 58'being iestored to norma posi tion by the spring 61. The f opera-tor then 0 proceeds to enter the remainin check orchecks, the carriage moving step iy step toward the left unti-Lthe dog 41 again engages the lug 42. If the operator should fail to note the necessity for returning to the first I check column until the dog ,7 0 has passed the latch lever 36, she may still operate the selective column return key 72 and cause the carriage to move to the left until the dog 41 enprojection 42, whereupon the carriage will e returned to the osition determined by the roller 71. In sue return movement the latch lever 36 yields rearwardly sufficiently to pass the .dog 70. N

The dog 41 and the roller 52 may be considered as constituting a set of maximumlimit stops, and the dog 70 and the roller 71 as forming a set of intermediate-limit stops,

said sets of stops being located in different vertical lanes,and hence moving in different paths. he dogs 41 and 70 may be termed initial stops, since they serve to initiate the return stroke of the carriage. The rollers 52 and 71 may be called terminal stops, since they cause cessation of the return stroke.

Ashereinbefore indicated, the invention is capable of embodiment in various forms with in the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination of a laterally movable paper carriage, a horizontal drive shaft, a second horizontal shaft adjacent to the aper carriage, a drive belt connecting said s afts,

a lever pivoted on the axis of the second shaft,

a pinion on said lever, gearing connecting said pinion to the second shaft, a rack on the paper carriage arranged to mesh with said pinion, a spring tending to swing the lever to place the pinion in mesh with the rack,

a latch lever for holding the lever out of such A position, a throw-out lever connected to the pinion-supporting lever, and devices on the paper carriage for operating the latch lever and the throw-out lever.

2. The combination of a laterally movable paper carriage, a horizontal drive shaft, a second horizontal shaft adjacent to the paper carriage, a drive belt connecting said shafts, a lever pivoted on the axis of the second shaft, a pinion on said lever, gearing connecting said pinion to the second shaft, a rack on the paper carriage arranged to mesh with said pinion, and means for moving the pinion into and out of mesh with the rack.

3. The combination of a laterally movable paper carriage, a set of maximum-limit stops on the paper carriage, a set of intermediatelimit stops on the paper carriage, said sets of stops being located to move in different paths, and each set comprising an initial stop and a terminal stop, carriage-return mechanism including controlling devices movable into the path of either set of limit stops, said devices comprising a latch lever operable by the initial stops in the travlof the carriage a throw-out lever operable by the terminal stops in the travel of the carriage, and a latch lever also operable by the terminal stops in the travel of the carriage, manipulative means for moving said controlling devices into the path of the intermediate-limit stops, and a spring controlled by the second-mentioned latch lever for placing said controlling devices in the path of the maximum-limit stops.

4. The combination of a laterally movable paper carriage, a set of maximum-limit stops on the paper carriage, a set of intermediatelimit stops on the paper carriage, said sets of stops being located to move in difierent paths,-and each set comprising an initial and a terminal stop, and carriage-return mechanism including controlling devices movable into the path of either set of limit stops, said devices comprising a lever operable by the initial stops in the travel of the carriage and a lever operable by the terminal stops in the travel of the carriage.

5. The combination of a laterally movable carriage, a set of maximum-limit stops on the carriage, a setof intermediate-limit stops on the carriage, said sets of stops being located to move in diflerent paths, carriagereturn mechanism including controlling means movable into the path of either set of limit stops, manipulative means for placing said controlling means in the path of the intermediate-limit stops, and means controlled by one of the intermediate-limit stops for placing the controlling means in the path of the maximum-limit stops.

6. .The combination of a laterally movable carriage, a set of maximum-limit stops on the carriage, a set of intermediate-limit stops on the carriage, said sets of stops being 10- cated to move in different paths, carriage-return mechanism including controlling devices movable into the path of either set of limit stops, means for placing said controlling devices in the path of one of said sets of stops, and automatic means controlled by one of the last mentioned stops for placing-the controlling devices in the path of the other set of stops.

7. The combination of a laterally movable carriage, a set of maximum-limit stops on the carriage, a set of intermediate-limit stops on the carriage, said sets of stops being located in diii'erent planes, carriage-return mechanism including controlling means movable into the plane of either set of limit stops, and manipulative means for adjusting the position of said controlling means.

8. The combination of a laterally movable paper carriage, carriage return mechanism, a detent lever for controlling initiation of carriage return, a throwout lever for effecting cessation of carriage return, a support for said levers, a plurality of devices on the paper carriage to coact with the detent lever, a pluralityof devices on the paper carriage to coact with the throwout lever, means for adjusting said support to place the detent lever and the throwout lever in position for coaction with the selected devices, a reciprocatory line-space actuator, a detent plate normally preventing effective reciprocation of such actuator, and a bell crank lever one plate out of reciprocation-preventing position, the other arm of said bell crank lever being movable by said support.

9. The combination of a laterally movable paper carriage, carriage return mechanism, a detent lever for controlling initiation of carriage return, a throwout lever for effecting cessation of carriage return, a plurality of devices on the paper carriage to coact with the detent lever, a plurality of devices on the paper carriage to coact with the throwout lever, means for adjusting the detent lever and the throwout lever for coaction with the selected devices, and line-space actuating means rendered effective by such adjustment.

10. The combination of a laterally movable paper carnage, carriage return mechanism, detent means for controlling initiation of carriage return, throwout means for eifectmg cessation of carriage return, a support for said two means, a plurality of devices on the paper carriage to coact with the detent means, a plurality of devices on the paper nism, devices to control the carriage return mechanism, a support for said devices, a plurality of sets of devices on the paper carriage to coact with the controlling devices, means for adjusting said support to place the controlling devices in position for coaction with a selected set of devices on the carriage, and line-spaceactuating means controlled by such ad ustment.

12. The combination of a laterally movable paper carriage, carriage return mechanism, controlling means for said mechanism, means for adjusting said controlling means to effect return from an intermediate columnar position, a reciprocatory line-space actuator, a detent for said actuator, and a bell crank lever one arm of which is arranged to render the detent ineffective, said bell crank lever being actuated in the adjustment of said controlling means.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto alfixed my signature.

OSCAR J. SUNDSTRAN'D. 

